The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-07-29

DiouSHt III bdby. GAlpn , pTdlSe VI tHS
child quite won my wife's heart. 1t was
pronounced to be a prodigy, and Exton
snapped his fingers at it, and chooky-
chooed for it in a way that would have
done credit to an experienced family man;
and he wound mp by giving nursemaid
some advice abeut IFS management, which,
to make it more impressive, as lac said,
he expressed in German, which he spoke
auently.
Exton came to see us again, on some
pretext, aud acquired The habit Of coming
frequently. He never seemed to have
enough of that baby; and as whenever he
came it bad 10 be brought in, aud kept
there, my wife got used to it and left him
with the baby aud it's nurse while she be-
gan TO build an air castle.
"You may depend on it, John" said
she, that the baby will profit by this.
Mr.. Exton is very fond of hlarmaduke. and
as he has neither chick nor child and is
not a marrying man | shouldn't be sur
prised if he left her a nice penny"
] smiled, for / had no hopes of that
kind. My wife often referred to it; but
suddenly dropped the subject aud said &c
more about it.
One day there came a letter with a
foreign postmark addressed to Betty.
She translated it to my wife in confidence,
and they had a confab over it. Then
there was a deal of sewing going ON, the
sewing machine was kept busy; but it
was always showed aside when | came in,
it'll bushes from the girl and giggling
from my wife. | supposed they were
making something for me against my
b irthday, and ] kept very quiet, to let
them have the satisfaction of surprising
me. But when my birthday had come
and gone and there was nothing said l
was a little puzzled.
One day, later ont was a pleasant,
sunny day in the Indian snmmeI-I was
detained at heme until near ten o'clock.
Betty had gone ont to air the baby. |
went to the station of the elevated road
in the next street and when half way up
the steps CHANGED to look down the cross
street. There / saw Betty wheeling
Marmaduke's carriage on the sidewalk,
and alongside of her walked Mr.. Exton,
who was talking to her earnestly. A
policeman. a new one on the beat, caught
my eye, and with asly wink nodded his
head toward the couple.
k.YU.Hf - a.s1 = x.-r,lf Irnzrs.r a
long breath, 81 am astonislled to say the
least
That afternoon Exton lounged into my
shop and | asked him into my back office,
whence / had previously elected Che clerk
mir. Exton," I SAID, Il have always
had a great respect for you, but
Butt he interrupted. Does that
mean that l have lost your respect"
Not quite" I replied; "but | was sor-
ry to see you to-day filling oar little Bet
tvs head with foolish notions. She is a
good girl, even if she be nothing bHt a
nursemaid-"
Here he interrupted me again.
81 beg your pardon, Judkins, but she is
something more than a nursemaid, She is
a gentlewoman. every inch, and her filling
the position she does, under the circum-
stances, is no disercdit to her"
Il don't say that it is; but as you do not
intend to marry Der"
"But l do intend to marry her, lie
again interrupted, ''and in three weeks
time. As she has no relatives here the
German consul has been good enough, at
my request, to represent them at the we'd
ding, and with their full consent"
Imerely stared at him.
81 probably owe you an explanation
he said. "Don't you remember I told you
/ intended TO find the owner of those little
shoes and if could win her to make her
my wife? When | came to yonr house |
soon found that she was Elizabeth Won
Rheinfeldt. When | was at Heidelberg
her cousin was a classmate and an inti-
mate friend. wrote to him about her
and soon learned THAI she had refused their
offers of assistance, in resentment OF the
family treatment of her father. ] honored
her split. | wrote asking their approval
of my snit, which they gave, and they sent
10 her at the same time a handsome sum
for her treasseau, which she only accepted
at nay request. She is quite my equal.
socially, in spite Of taking a nurses posi-
ton rather than be idle. Her blue blood
makes no difference, you may as well un-
derstand. l marry her and not her family,
and as she consents, would make her my
wife if she were the daughter Of a street
sweeper"
OF course, all | could do was to con
gratulate him aud say no more. But
told my wife about it when ] got home.
'tJoin," she remarked, never do Q
say that a woman can't keep a secret.
What do yon suppose all this sewing and
fixing has been for?"
They were married, and they have been
in Europe for the last year.
Ny vile was right about some good
coming to Marmadnke, though, it did not
take the shape Of a legacy. ON his we'd
ding day Exton handed me a paper.
"Mr. Jadkins," he said, Il have robbed
yonr boy of his nurse and he has helped
mo 10 A wife. SO [ owe him some repara-